REACH

The European regulation for chemical substances

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals.REACH is a European Union regulation (EC 1907/2006) that came into force on 1/6/2007.

In 2007, the regulation harmonised and simplified the chemicals legislation in force to that point. It also replaced various decrees. The goal of REACH is to better protect human health and the environment. That is why REACH regulates the use of the chemical substances used both in industrial processes and products one the one hand and in everyday products, such as clothing, furniture, and electrical appliances, on the other. The regulation states that manufacturers, importers, and subsequent users bear responsibility for the chemicals used. It is necessary to ensure that manufactured chemicals placed on the market are used safely. The scope includes manufacturers and/or importers who produce substances at rates of more than one ton per year in the European Union or import such substances into the European Union at that rate. The REACH regulation is both modern and one of the strictest chemicals laws worldwide.

This means the following for our chainflex cables:
The REACH regulation is only partially valid for igus®: as a manufacturer of cables, the company is defined as a "downstream user" with regard to the value chain. Nevertheless, igus® observes the content of the REACH regulation and its rules for producing and processing chemical substances. For example, no chemicals are used in the production of chainflex® cables that exceed the valid REACH limits. The entire range of chainflex® cables is free of substances such as sodium peroxometaborates, cadmium sulphides or dihexyl phthalates.

Information according to REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 - communication of information on substances in products (Article 33):

chainflex cables with a flame-retardant TPE outer jacket contain decabromodiphenylethane.

"The product contains decabromodiphenylethane in a concentration of more than 0.1% (CAS No. 84852-53-9), a substance of very high concern (SVHC) included in the REACH candidate list."

What does this mean for the use of these cables?

The use of flame-retardant TPE cables is still permitted. Inclusion in the candidate list does not constitute a ban, but only an obligation to provide this information.